Voges: More vessels
complying with bridge,
harbour and clearance fees
By Alita Singh
SIMPSON BAY-- Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority (SLAC) has recorded a significant jump in the number of vessels paying the required fees, Managing Director Russell Voges told The Daily Herald on Thursday.
A total of 474 vessels paid all of the necessary fees when they were implemented in October 2003 and 4,102 paid in 2004. For the first four months of this year, 4,073 vessels cleared their bills.
Voges cautioned that while the vessel figures had grown immensely, this was not an indication of increased traffic, but of increased compliance with the payment of fees, as vessels’ operators become more aware of the financial requirements of using the lagoon.
By law, all vessels entering the lagoon have to pay the fees. If a vessel leaves without paying the relevant amount, SLAC has an agreement with the marinas operating on the lagoon that allows for the marina with which the vessel has a contract to be billed for the amount owed. In turn, the marina charges the account of the vessel.
Defaulting vessels are issued “a pink slip,” a notice from the lagoon authority requesting the captain or vessel owner to visit SLAC’s Fee Collection Office in the Simpson Bay Police Station to settle the account or be fined or faced with imprisonment. After three “pink slips,” especially for boats anchored or docked in the lagoon, the vessel is visited by the maritime police
Logs of vessels entering and leaving the lagoon or Simpson Bay are kept daily by the bridge attendants while vessels anchored or docked in the lagoon are tallied weekly.
The fees collected will be used to service the loan SLAC took out to pay for the widening of the Simpson Bay bridge and for maintenance. The five-year grace period for the loan payments is still in effect. Regular payments on the NAf. 4.2 million loan will commence in 2007.
A computerised database is being developed for SLAC by Antek that will be used to log the details of all visiting vessels from the required registration of the vessels to the nickname of the captain, Voges said. The database should be operational in a few weeks and will help SLAC better monitor trends such as the number of vessels visiting the island, the types, and fee payment compliance.
The marine sector is growing rapidly, Voges stated. However, the exact outline of how the island benefits and the role it plays in the Caribbean are not well defined. The new database system should help better define this and determine whether the island is just a hub for provisioning, as some people believe, for example, he added.
Vessel Insurance
One of the documents vessels have to submit when paying the three fees is the vessel’s insurance policy. At present, the harbour ordinance is being reviewed to see if it should be amended to mandate that all vessels entering the lagoon are insured.
Disaster Plan
There is no disaster contingency plan for the lagoon. One is being worked on by a team comprising Voges, Robbie Ferron, representatives of the Coast Guard and Maritime Police, Bobby Velasquez and Paul Marten of the Office of Disaster Management.
The team is identifying all possible risks and threats in lagoon and will use this and other information gathered to develop the Disaster Contingency Plan which is slated for completion shortly.
Pollution
“SLAC is happy to have Andy Caballero (of the Nature Foundation) on board. He is well versed about the lagoon and has all of the studies associated with it,” Voges said.
The primary causes of pollution in the lagoon basin are runoff from the surrounding areas and oil and fuel spillage from vessels using it, he stated. Other contributors are shipwreck disposal, marinas’ anti fouling paints, spraying and holding tanks, and dredging.
Despite speculation that the lagoon is heavily polluted, Voges said, “The lagoon still seems very healthy. There are enough currents in the lagoon to keep it fresh and healthy. People tend to always think of the lagoon as all development, but there are still a lot of places where fish are breeding.”
Asked what effect filling in for developments bordering the lagoon is having on this body of water, he said about 80 per cent of the present lagoon border was not the original one. However, there are still original sections such as from Port de Plaisance marina to Belle Vie and in the Nettle Bay area.
Projects
The entrance to the lagoon and after the bridge will be spruced up in the coming months with mangroves, coconut trees and royal palms to create a more inviting view for vessels entering and leaving the lagoon. The banks of the entrance will be reinforced before the planting begins. SLAC is soliciting sponsors for this project.
“There is a growing awareness amongst persons in the industry and community of the need to enhance the environment. Larger developers are seeing this too, as the way the place looks affects the product they are selling,” Voges remarked.
The mouth of the bridge channel is dredged yearly. This maintenance activity will be carried out in the coming days. Wrecks are also removed to clear the entryways. Once the dredging is finalised, all of the channels, fairways and entrance to the lagoon will be better marked with buoys in accordance with international regulations.
The no anchoring area in the flight paths of aeroplanes leaving Princess Juliana International Airport will have to be extended due to the expansion of the airport, he added.
No speeding
There is strict adherence to the speed limit of 5 miles per hour in the lagoon. Vessels observed breaking the speed limit are fined. At least three vessels have been fined already. If a vessel is found speeding, the patrolling officer will issue a fine and confiscate the boat, which is released only after the fine is logged by the Prosecutor’s Office and payment is made at the Federal Receiver’s Office.
St Maarten Apartment for vacation rental
